Flue gas discharge technology enables dispersion of the exhaust plume into the atmosphere, resulting in reduced local ground-level concentrations. Treated flue gases will be conveyed from the flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system into the cooling tower through one or two glass-fiber reinforced plastic ducts and discharged into the atmosphere together with the cooling tower plume. As reported, the combination of flow allows for improved mixing and updraft into the atmosphere.
The principle of discharging flue gases via the cooling tower is not limited to new natural draft cooling towers. Existing cooling towers can also be retrofitted with the technology. Many cooling towers in Europe have been retrofitted with similar flue gas discharge systems to meet environmental regulations, the company said.
Built in the 1960s, Cardinal Station has three coal-fired units and generates a total of 1,830MW of electricity. Preliminary on-site work on the cooling system retrofit will begin as early as this year. The final flue gas discharge system installation expected to be completed in 2012 during the commissioning of a new FGD system (scrubber).
SPX’s Thermal Equipment and Services segment is a provider of wet, dry and hybrid cooling towers, heat exchangers, air and flue gas systems and filter systems.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX offers engineered solutions that support expansion of infrastructure.
